Here at The Cupboard we love to be involved in the community. When an opportunity arises that allows us to give back, we gladly accept it. This year we have decided to host a food drive to help the hungry. From November 17th – November 23rd we will be collecting canned goods and other non-perishable items for the Food Bank for Larimer County. As listed on the website the items most needed at this time are as follows:

Peanut butter

Canned meat/fish (chicken, salmon, tuna)

Canned Fruit in Fruit Juice

Whole grain, low sugar cereal

To encourage your participation we will be raffling off this majestic 3 pound center piece turkey from Bissingers chocolate, whom we’ve decided to call Tobias.

For every one item from the most needed list you donate, you will receive one entry into the raffle.

For every 3 items not on the list you will also receive one raffle entry.

The Fort Collins Foodie Walk is a slow growing trend that makes for a fabulous Friday night. This month we have Laurel Smith from Buena Vida Farm to talk about her heirloom pumpkins. Like wise staff member and foodie walk veteran, Marcia , will be in the kitchen cooking up some of those pumpkins.

Listed below are the dishes she’ll be trying her hand at.

Roasted Winter Squash Cushaw with Raspberries

Ingredients

1 ½ pounds cushaw peeled cubed into 1 inch squares (you could use butternut squash but that is not fair)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Coat an oven safe glass dish with butter or a non stick spray. Arrange cushaw slices into an even, flat layer along the bottom of the dish. You do not want the cushaw slices packed in too tightly. Leave a little wiggle room for cream along the sides of each slice.

Give each cushaw slice a heavy sprinkle of cinnamon. Then follow up with some fresh grated nutmeg. Lastly, sprinkle the brown sugar all around the pan. Don’t worry about being precise, just make sure each piece is brown sugared!

Lay the butter slices on top of each slice of cushaw. Larger pieces get two slices of butter….smaller pieces get 1. And your personal piece you already picked out gets 3 slices of butter. 🙂

Pour the heavy cream around the edges of the pan…and then come back a second time and do another round with the half & half. The liquid will come up to about half way up the sides of the cushaw.

Cover the dish with foil and bake for 1 hour, or until incredibly tender when pierced with a fork. Then remove the foil and bake for 10 minutes more. Serve immediately.

Healthy Bacon & Pumpkin Pasta

Ingredients

2 cups dry whole grain shells

½ cup pumpkin puree

1 ounce light cream cheese

¼ cup fat free evaporated milk

½ teaspoon minced garlic

½ teaspoon salt

freshly ground pepper to taste

¼ cup cooked, crumbled bacon

¼ cup sliced scallions or green onions

Instructions

Cook pasta according to directions. Drain and return to pan. Reduce heat to low.

Add pumpkin through salt and pepper and stir until cream cheese is melted and mixture is warmed through.

Divide between two bowls and top with crumbled bacon and green onions.

Notes

I’ve also made this with caramelized onions for a little sweeter, more buttery flavor.

Line a baking dish (I used a 6″ x 9″ glass bread pan) with parchment paper or plastic wrap, two pieces works so the paper can go up both sides.

Mix all of the ingredients — except the chocolate — together in a large mixing bowl until totally mixed. It should be creamy and smooth. Pour the mixture into the lined dish and smooth it out with a spatula. Place in the freezer until solid, approximately 1-2 hours.

Just before you are ready to pull the fudge out, melt your chocolate over a double boiler.

Lift the fudge out of the pan by grabbing the sides of the parchment paper and cut it into 1-inch squares. Place the squares in a single layer onto a parchment paper lined tray or pan. Using a spoon, drizzle the melted chocolate over top of all of the fudge. Add a sprinkle of cinnamon or sea salt, if desired.

Return back to the freezer in a sealed container. This must be kept in the freezer until ready to eat.

Quinoa Black Bean Pumpkin Soup {Gluten-Free, Vegan}

Quinoa Black Bean Pumpkin Soup makes for a hearty and filling meal full of healthy and nutritious ingredients. Gluten-Free and Vegan too.

Author: Vicky Berman

Recipe type: Soup

Serves: 4

Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 onion, diced

5 cloves garlic, diced

1 red chili pepper, diced

3 cups cubes pumpkin

1 teaspoon ground cumin

½ teaspoon dried oregano

½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

½ cup quinoa

20 ounce can black beans (rinsed and drained)

5 cups vegetable broth

2 bay leaves

For garnish:

1 avocado, cubed

handful cilantro, diced

1 lime, cut into wedges

Instructions

Heat oil in pan over medium heat and cook onion for a few minutes. Add garlic and red chili pepper and cook until aromatic.

Add pumpkin and spices and cook for a couple minutes.

Add 2 cups of the vegetable broth and quinoa. Bring a boil and cook for 5 minutes before adding the remaining vegetable broth. Bring to a boil.

Add beans and bay leaves. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 5-10 minutes.

Served garnished with cilantro, avocado and lime juice.

All of these recipes can be found on our Pinterest page as well, on the “Fall” board.